tribal fairs and festivals
Murung Festival , arunachal pradesh
The Murung Festival is a socio-religious festival of the people of the Apatani tribe of the Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh. Held during January each year, this is a festival of healing and well-being, wishing health for one’s whole family and community. Sacrificial rites, prayers, and a communal feast are performed, bringing the entire village together in a spirit of unity and gratitude.
Mostly, the Apatani live in Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh. Rich in cultural history, they have integrated rice-fish farming and a thorough understanding of ecology and natural resource management in the valley. The Apatanis speak the Tani language and worship the sun, Donyi, and the moon, Polo. The famous facial tattoos and nose plugs of the Apatanis have great significance from the past.
Murung Festival comprises many rituals and ceremonies. The festival is begun with animal sacrifice, which is followed by the village shaman. The festival includes traditional dance and singing, and processions in the village. The festival also involves prayers for good health and prosperity in order to maintain the family and community healthy.
Murung Festival is an event at which the Apatani tribe showcases the cultural practices of the tribe. The festival is celebrated among the villages on rotation, during which time the community engages in traditional dancing and singing and feeding. It is a time when the villagers come together, life is shared from one community to another, and all come to celebrate the uniqueness of their ethnicity
As far as the celebration of the Murung Festival is concerned, it is a collective effort from both the old generation and youngsters among the people of the Apatani tribe. The festival brings people together to forge oneness with everyone partaking in the celebration. It further reinforces social bonds and cultural continuity within the community.
